Electric switch.



J. L. McQUARRlE. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.22. 191s.

4am W0 A .w mm W m y// J. L. MCQUARRIE. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION man SEPT.22. 191s.

Patented D00. 4, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

28% Q m n I UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

JAMES L. HOQUARRIE, OI MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK' ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1917.

Application filed September 22, 1918. Serial No. 121,585.

clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to electric switches, and particularly to switches for use in automatic and semi-automatic telephone systems.

The principal object of this invention is to eifect the association of a movable contact with the terminals of a desired line by the use of a mechanical stop common to a plurality of movable contacts, and arranged to preselect the desired line. Another object is to provide a mechanical stop, which is movable to efi'ect preselection of desired lines without interference with contacts already associated with lines. A further object is to provide movable contacts which in operating will not engage nor contact with terminals other than those of the line preselected for it.

Two different forms of switch are shown: one utilizing a solenoid to effect movement of the contact, while the other utilizes a spring for this purpose. In both forms an idle line is first located by a mechanical stop to preselect such line. On origination of a call a movable contact, associated with the calling line, is moved until it engages with the mechanical stop. This brings the line brushes opposite the line terminals of the preselected line, whereupon the brushes are rotated to engage said terminals. The mechanical stop then moves to preselect another idle line. When disconnection is desired a change in the circuit conditions is produced, which efiects disengagement of the line brushes from the terminals, and

causes the operation of suitable mechanism to restore the contact to normal position ready for subsequent use.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form ofthe invention which utilizes a solenoid to effect movement of the contact; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof showing an arrangement to accommodate a plurality of movable contacts; and Fig. 3, is a side elevation of the spring operating mechanism, which may be used instead of the solenoid of the switch shown in Fig. 1. Fig; 4, is a plan view, of

the means used to effect cooperation of the line brushes and the line terminals, while Fig. 5, is adetail view of the mechanical stop. Fig. 6 shows a circuit arrangement for the solenoid; operated switch, and Fig. 7 shows a circuit arrangement for the spring operated switch.

The switch is shown in use as a line switch to connect a calling line to an idle trunk leading to succeeding apparatus, but it is obviously not restricted to such use and may be used in any lace where it is desired to render a plurality of outgoing lines available to one or more incoming lines of any description.

The switches shown are of the panel type in which a movable brush set 10 may engage any desired set of line terminals, 11, arranged in a panel bank 12. In addition to the usual line terminal bank 12, another ten minal bank 13 is provided, having test terminals 14 therein to represent the condition of their respeotiveline terminals in the bank 12. The test terminals in the banks 12 and 13 are multipled together. In addition to the test terminals 14: another terminal 15 is provided at the top of the contact bank 13, and connected to ground for a purpose to be later described. A row of terminals 16 is provided in-bank 13 all of such terminals excepting the lowermost being grounded,

while the uppermost terminal 17 of a third row is also grounded. The test terminals in the bank 12 are horizontally multipled to provide terminal sets for as many individual line brush sets as it might be desirable to use with the common stop. The contact bank 13, however, would not be multipled,

A test brush set 18 is movable over the drive magnet 27, through its armature 28,

operates an idler to effect engagement of the rack 24 with the updrive roll 25., A downdrive magnet 30, through its armature 31, and idler 32, controls engagement of the rack 24 with thedowndrive roll 26., An ex tension 33, on the armature 31, disengages a spring pressed holding pawl '34 from the rack 24,- on energization of the magnet 30. The pawl 34 permits of upward movement of the rack 24 but is arranged to prevent accidental downward movement thereof.

The cross-piece 19 has upwardly projecting extensions 35 and 36 to which a plate 37 is pivotally secured. The extenslon 35, projects above the extension 36 and carries a pinion 38 at its upper end. Thls p1n1on 38 engages the rack 23 and servesto prevent rotary movement of the cross-piece 20 and the test brush 18 carried thereby. The plate 37 is turned over at its upper end to form a stop 138 and has an arm 139 to which one end of a link 40 is pivotally secured. The other end of the link 40 is pivotally and slidably mounted in a slot 41 of a vertically movable strip 42. Pivoted to the strip 42 near the ends thereto, are parallel links 43, which have their other ends pivotally secured to a stationary part of the switch structure. A spring 45- .serves to hold the strip 42 normally in the position shown in Fig. 1, but operation of the armature 47 of a magnet 46, will move the same downwardly. Downward movement of the strip 42 will also move the same laterally to the right, and the link 40 will draw the plate 37 with it so that the stop 138 thereon will no longer be in a position to engage any of the stop lugs 39, carried on the movable contact supports 44. Each movable contact support 44 carries a stop lug'39 pivoted thereon, as shownin Fig. 5. The engagement. of the stop lug 39 causes a spring contact 48 to engage a bus-bar 49 of a length equal to that of the. contact bank-13. A spring 50 carried by the support 44 engages a lug 51 carried on the rear end of the stop lug 39 to normally hold the spring contact 48 from engagement with the bus-bar 49. The lower end of the support 44 has an insulating tip 52, which controls a three-spring oil-normal contact 53. The intermediate part of the support 44 extends through a solenoid 55 and is somewhat larger in diameter than the lower part of. the support. The portion 56 of the intermediate part, is of non-magnetic material, while the portion 57, normally below-the solenoid, is of magnetic material/ A bar 58. of rectangular cross-section is secured to the piece 56 and in turn carries the line terminal brush set 10 as shown'in Fig. 4. On energization of the solenoid 55, the brush set 10 moves upwardly until the stop lug 39 engages the stop 138. This positions the brush set 10 opposite the terminals 11 of a selected line. The piece 58 is slidable through a yoke 59, carried on an armature 60 of an electro1nagnet 61, and on energization of this magnet the brush set 10 is rotated into association...

with the selected terminals. An extension 62, on the-armature 60, operates three sets of contacts 63, 64 and 65. These contacts are resilient and normally serve to hold the armature 60 away from the rotary magnet 61 to keep the brush set 10 out of engagement with the terminals in the bank 12.

Hit is desired to use a spring, rather than the solenoid 55, to effect movement of the support 44 the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 is provided. A wire wound on a pulley 71, carried on a common shaft 72, is provided for each of the movable contact sets. The pulley 71, has a. ratchet wheel 73, rigidly secured thereto, and a spring 74, secured to the ratchet wheel 73 and shaft 72, normally serves to wind up the wire 70 and move the contact set 10 upwardly. A pawl 75, however, normally engages the ratchet wheel 73 to prevent such action. Through energization of a trip magnet 76, whose armature 77 carries the pawl 75, movement is possible. To effect resetting a restoring magnet 78, whose armature 79, carries a stepping pawl 80, is provided. WVhen resetting is desired, the restoring magnet 78 is operated until the contact set 10 reaches normal, Where it is held by the pawl engaging the ratchet wheel 73.

- The operation of the solenoid actuated switch, which can be best understood from a description of the circuits shown in Fig. 6, is as follows: The calling subscriber at A removes hi receiver, which completes a circuit for slow release line relay 100, this circuit extending from grounded battery, left-hand winding of relay 100, conductor 101, middle armature and back contact of relay 102, conductors 103 and 104, the subscribers set A, conductors 105 and 106, outer armature and back contact of relay 102, conductor 107, and right-hand winding of relay 100, to ground. The mechanical stop will have selected an idle line and when relay 100 pulls up, a circuit is completed for the solenoid 55 controlling the contact set 10 associated with the calling line, extending from ground, armature and front contact of relay 100, conductor 108, solenoid 55, to grounded battery. The solenoid 55 will attract the magnetic core 57 until the stop lug 39 encounters stop 138. The engagement of stop lug 39 with stop 138 moves the contact spring .48 into contact with the bus-bar 49, and completes the circuit for the relay 61. This circuit extends from ground, bus-bar 49, contact 48, conductors 109 and 110, lower winding of relay 61, to grounded battery. Relay 61 on pulling up rotates the line brush set 10 into engagement with the preselected line terminals 11, and also operates the contacts 63, 64 and 65, here represented as armature contacts thereof. The calling line is thus extended to the succeeding apparatus with which the terminals 11 are connected, and such apparatus is operated in the usual way to secure connection with the called party. The energization of the rotary magnet 61 puts battery on the test terminal of theterminal set 11 over a path from grounded battery, upper winding of relay 61, inner armature and front contact of relay 61, conductor 112, test brush 111, to the test terminal of the selected set ,11. The line leading from the test terminal to succeeding apparatus has ground placed, thereon when t e terminal set 11 is taken. This completes a holdin circuit for the rotary magnet 61 and hol s the same energized so long as connection 1s desired.

Since terminal 14 is multipled to the test terminal of the set 11 seized, the tilting magnet 46, is energized over a circuit extending from grounded battery, magnet 46, conductor 114, test terminal 14, conductor 113, and test terminal of set 11 to ground.-

The off normal contact 53 is closed on the support 44 movin upwardly and places ground on the con uctor 131 leading to the test terminal132of the calling subscribers connector terminals 133. This rovides a busy test for the calling subscrlbers line. Operation of the magnet 46 moves the plate 37 so that on lon 'tudinal movement'thereofthe stop 138 wil not engage with the stop lugs 39 already set. Energization of magnet 46 completes a circuit from ground, armature and front contact of relay 46 conductor 115, outer left-hand armature and back contact of release relay 116, and updrive magnet'27 to grounded battery. Mags net 27 on energizatlon engages the rack 24' with updrive roll 25, whereupon the test brush 18 is moved over the test terminals 14 until an ungrounded terminal is located. The test brush 18 i broad enough to bridge adjacent terminals in moving thereover. The plate 37 moves with the'brush 18 until an ungrounded test terminal 14 is located,

whereupon the magnet 46 falls off, deenergizin magnet 27 and the bar 24 is disengage from the updrive roller 25. The spring' 45 then returns the plate 37 to sto engaging position while the holding paw 34 looks the stop mechanism in the preselected position. Other contact sets 10 can now be operated in similar manner without interfering with others already set.

When disconnection is desired, the action of succeeding apparatus in restoring opens the circuit over the conductor 112 to magnet 61, which thereupon falls off. The resilient contacts 63, 64 and 65 disengage the line set 10 from the terminals 11, and the solenoid 55, being deenergized, the support- 44 drops to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 6.

The test brush 18 normally moves upward in search of an idle line. It may be,

however, that all the lines above the line last located are busy, in which case the test brush 18 would go up until it engages with the grounded contact 15. In'this position the middle and right-hand brushes of the test brush set 18 are positioned on the rounded terminals 16 and 17, respectively.

en brush 18 engages termlnal 15 a circuit is completed for the tilting magnet 46, which moves the plate 37 out of the engage mg position reliminary to downward movement thereo to energize relay 116, this circuit extending from grounded battery ri ht-hand winding of relay 116, conductor 11 right-hand test brush, and terminal 17 to ground. Release relay 116, pulling up, completes a holding A circuit is also completed circuit for itself extending from grounded battery, right-hand winding of relay 116,

innerv left-hahd armature and front contact.

thereof, conductor 118, middle test brush, terminal 16, to ground; A circuit is also completed for downdrive magnet 30, this circuit extending from grounded battery magnet 30, conductor 119, inner left-hand armature and front contact of relay 116, conductor 115, armature and front contact of rela '46, to ground. A holding circuit isalso c osed for the magnet 46, extending from ground, right-hand armature and front contact of relay 116, conductors 120and 114, magnet" 46, to grounded battery. Downward movement of the rack 24 now takes place and continues until the middle test brush is positioned on terminal 121, inv the contact bank 13'. This terminal 121 is ungrounded and accordingly1 breaks the locking circuit of relay 116, w ereupon it falls off, opening in turn the circuits to the tilting magnet 46 and the updrive magnet 30. If the lowermost test terminal 14 .is ungrounded the brush set 18 will remain in this position, but if bus a circuit will be completed from groun ed terminal 14 to the tilting magnet 46 as previously traced, and will energize the updrive magnet 27 to move the brushes line is found. Thereupon, magnets 46 and 27 are deenergized, and the test brush- 18 is.

positioned on that terminal with the stop plate 37 in engaging position ready for subsequent calls. 1

Fig. 7 shows a circuit arrangement of the formof switch wherein a spring is used to move the line brush set instead of the sole noid arrangement disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 6. These circuit arrangements have many features in common, and like reference characters have accordingly been used in so far as possible. The operation is the same as described for the arrangement shown in Fig. 6, except for minor changes such as the line relay 100, which instead of completing a circuit for the solenoid 55 on energization, completes a circuit for trip magnet 76 to withdraw holding pawl 7 5 and permit movement of the support 44 until the stop l'ug 39 engages the stop 138. This circuit extends from ground, right-hand armature and front contact of relay 100, conductor 125 and magnet 76 to grounded battery. The

line relay 100 also has a left-hand armature, which is pulled up on taking of the line to prevent completion of the circuit for the restoring magnet 78 at this time. An additional off-normal contact 126 is provided and is closed on initial upward movement of the support 44. The rotary magnet 61 is operated the same as in the solenoid form of switch but has an additional contact 127 lo cated in the circuit of the restoring magnet 78. This contact 127 is opened on energization of the relay 61. The line terminal set 10 is associated with the preselected terminals 11, and the line extended to the called party, as described for the solenoid switch. When disconnection is desired, a circuit leading from succeeding apparatus over the conductor 112 to the rotary magnet 61 is opened. Magnet 61, being denergized, disengages the line set 10, and completes a circuit for the restoring magnet 78, this circuit'extending from the ground, lower armature, and back contact 127, of magnet 61, conductor 128, left-hand armature and back contact of relay 1 00, conductor 129, off-normal contact 126, conductor 130, armature and back contact of magnet 78, to grounded battery. The magnet 78 is made to interrupt its own circuit at the back contact of its armature, and to keep stepping the ratchet wheel 73, until the support 44 opens the off-normal contact 126, on reaching normal position and the circuit of the restoring magnet 78. The holding pawl 75 engaging the ratchetwheel 73 will hold the line brush set 10 in its lowermost position, until this line brush set is again taken for use. The resetting of the mechanical top is identical with that described for the solenoid form of switch, and need not therefore be further described.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electric switching device, a plurality of banks of line terminals, a set of line brushes for each of said banks, a bank of test terminals common to said plurality of banks of line terminals, a set of test brushes for cooperating with the bank of test terminals, means for moving said test brushes to a predetermined position in said test bank, means for moving any one of said line brushes over its cooperating contacts, and a common stop means controlled by the movement of said test brush for predetermining the stop position of any one of said line brushes.

2. In an electric switching device, a pluralit of banks of line terminals, a set of line brushes for each of said banks, a bank of test terminals common to said plurality stop position of any one of said line brushes,

and means for returning said line brush sets to normal position.

3. In an electric switching device, a plurality of banks of line terminals, a set of line brushes for each of said banks, a bank of test terminals common to said plurality of banks of line terminals, a set of test brushes for, cooperating with the bank of test terminals, a common stop means controlled by the movement of said test brushes for predctermining the stop position of any one of said line brushes, means to set said common stop to select any of said line terminals, means to move said line brushes into engagement with the line terminals selected, and means to laterally change the position of said stop means during the hunting of an idle test terminal so as to avoid its interfering with brushes-in engagement with any of said line terminals.

1. In an electric switching device, a plurality of banks of line terminals, a set of line brushes for each of said banks, a bank of test terminals common to said plurality of banks of line terminals, a set of test brushes for cooperating with the bank of test terminals, means for moving said test brushes to a predetermined position in said test bank, means for moving any one of said line brushes over its cooperating contacts, a common stop means controlled by the movement of said test brush for predetermining the stop position of any one of said line brushes, means to set said stop means to select a desired line terminal and means to move said stop means to select another idle test terminal upon engagement of said line brushes with said desired line terminals.

5. In an electric switching device, a bank of line terminals, a set of line brushes therefor, a bank of test terminals, a set of test brushes therefor, means for moving said test brushes to a predetermined position in said test bank, means for moving the line brush over the line terminals, a stop means controlled by the movement of said test brush for predetermining the stop position of the line brush, and means operated upon engagement of said stop means and said line brush to associate said line brush with the desired line terminals.

6. In an electric switching device, a bank of line terminals, a set of line brushes therefor, a bank of test terminals, aset of test brushes therefor, means for moving said test brushes for cooperatin brushes to a predetermined position in said test bank, means for moving the line brush over the line terminals, a stop means controlled by the movement of said test brush for predetermining the stop position of the line brush, means operated upon engagement of said stop means and said line brush to associate said line brush with the desired test terminals, and means for returning brushes to normal position.

7 In an electric switching device, a plurality of banks of line terminals, a set of line brushes for each of said banks, a bank' of test terminals common to said plurality of banks of line terminals, a set of test p with the bank of test terminals, means or movin said test brushes to a predetermined position in said test bank, means for moving any of said line brushes over its cooperating contacts,

means to hold the line brushes out of enxgagement with the line terminals during movement of said line brushes, means to move said set of line brushes into engagement with the line terminals selected, means for holding said set of line brushes in en- -gagingpos1tion with said set of line terminals, means for releasing said set of line brushes, and means for returning said setof line brushes to normal position.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 20th dayof September, A. D.

JAMES-L1. McQUARRIE 

